Questions over £4 million grant to Bernie Grant centre

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It looks as if Ken Livingstone’s chickens are coming home to roost. Not only are there police investigations now into six different grants made by Ken & co in City Hall and the London Development Agency (LDA) but we also have a damning report into a series of major grants – including £4 million which was given to the Bernie Grant centre in Tottenham.

These grants total £18.5 million – the sort of sums you would have though would have been carefully looked after! – and the report has found serious flaws in the controls put into place (or rather, not put into place) to ensure the money was spent properly.

Locally, the issue of financing the Bernie Grant Centre has been a long, and rather sorry, saga – there have been lots of issues to question, but whenever someone has spoken up, Labour’s blinkers have come down and they’ve assumed any questioning must some how be a secret plot to axe the centre and that anything and everything they are doing is perfect (as in this case back in 2004).

Well no – when there are doubts over money, it’s our duty to ask searching questions to ensure money is spent properly and effectively.

My colleague Dee Doocey – one of the Liberal Democrats on the GLA – put it very well:

Deloitte’s second – and completely independent – report vindicates the committee’s serious concerns about the processes used by the LDA to manage and monitor cultural projects it funds … It is very clear that the LDA has mismanaged public funds.

Ken’s response? A rather weak quip about how you don’t ask accountants to understand the value of a piece of art (because these grants were all cultural related) – which must misses the point. Just because the money is going on a piece of art or on a pet project of Labour it doesn’t mean you can abandon proper financial controls and scrutiny.

As for the Bernie Grant Centre case – let’s hope there were proper controls at the other end even if Ken Livingstone and the LDA didn’t take proper care of the money when they were sending it out.

How Brown could revolutionaise PMQs, improve Labour's standing, polish the image of politics and make the Tories look like silly – all in one go

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Another Wednesday, another PMQs (Prime Minister’s Questions) in Parliament. What to make of today’s Punch and Judy show between Cameron and Brown?

First – I guess, as Nick Robinson points out, that Cameron has forgotten his professed distaste for Punch and Judy, you say one insult, I’ll say two back more loudly style of politics. Perhaps he genuinely meant it when he said it, but if so he’s long since changed his mind.

Second -Gordon Brown really ain’t that sharp or fast when it comes to PMQs. He was always going to have a tough act to follow after Blair who, love or loathe what he said, was a master of the art of question time.

Fraser Nelson rather wickedly desecribes Ed Milliband’s apparent new role in the whole farago:

Ed Miliband seems to have a new job. He now sits next to Brown making theatrical grimaces and facial expressions of mock astonishment when Tories speak. Quite fun to watch. Oxford, LSE, Harvard – and he ends up as the highest-paid mime artist in Britain.

I see Mike Smithson (Political Betting) is speculating whether Brown might even be driven to trying to abolish PMQs. Well – if Brown is minded to, he could revolutionaise PMQs, improve Labour’s standing, polish the image of politics and make the Tories look like silly – all in one go.

The answer? Turn down the volume and turn up the behaviour on the Labour side of the chamber. Imagine what would happen if all the Labour MPs started behaving like sensible adults – none of the screaming and pointing and exagerated facial expressions, none of the passing impressions of the rowdy pub bore who insists everyone in the pub MUST hear what they’ve got to say – and instead – behave like you or I would expect and be expected to behave in any other place of work.

In a blink, he would look statesmanlike, the Tories (if they don’t follow suit) would look almightily daft in a one-sided shouting match, and who knows – PMQs might even end up fullfilling a purpose other than making politics look crap once a week.

But will Gordon do it? On past form, I’m not sure he’s got the bottle to take a decisive act. Here’s hoping though….

Will Ken Livingstone put his money where his mouth is?

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That’s the question I ask in my latest column – this one for the local Highgate Handbook:

Just imagine Highgate Village on a summer day – with no bus stand! A beautiful pedestrianised area with no noisy, smelly buses with engines idling – and local people able to stroll happily – stopping to chat with friends and neighbours.

In order words – will Ken’s fine words about improving our environment mean action in our community, or will it only be the grand schemes in central London that he pays attention to? Read on in the full piece…

Haringey Council failures wasting taxpayers' money say Liberal Democrats

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Council Tax would not have to rise in Haringey this year if Labour-run Haringey Council had not failed to deliver savings say Haringey’s Liberal Democrats.

Haringey Council promised to deliver £4.5 million savings but have failed to do so. Instead, residents have had to bare the brunt of increases in the cost of services totalling £10 million.

Lib Dems criticised Haringey Council’s budget at the Full Council meeting on 4th February 2008 by highlighting Haringey Labour’s financial mismanagement, which will result in residents paying higher taxes and paying more for services.

“For all Labour’s talk of cuts and savings, the burden Haringey Council puts on residents continues to increase, as do the costs of its services,” says Robert Gorrie, Lib Dem Finance Spokesperson.

“Labour’s financial mismanagement has cost Haringey’s taxpayers dear, and will continue to do so.

“£4.5 million of savings that were forecast only last year have not been delivered for next year. That failure cost Haringey Council more than the extra money they will get from increasing Council Tax next year.

“If those savings had been delivered Labour could have chosen not to put up Council Tax.”

Liberal Democrats propose radical devolution scheme for Haringey

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Plans to give more control to local residents are at the heart of alternative budget proposals put forward by Haringey Liberal Democrats. The £1.5 million package would provide two dedicated officers for each ward designed to be based in local neighbourhoods and to reflect the individual needs of each community in the London Borough of Haringey. Lib Dems believe that this would give residents a stronger say in how their money is spent locally.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Lib Dem resources spokesperson, comments:

“Every community is different – different problems and needs. Our proposal seeks to provide a resource to the local community that can be responsive to these local priorities.

“The Labour government and Haringey Council have too often sought to centralise services. This is completely the wrong approach. Local residents know the issues in their ward better than anyone and it is time that we recognised this. The Liberal Democrats are now the only party that would give people a stronger voice in how their hard earned taxes are spent.”

Cllr Gail Engert (Muswell Hill ward) adds:

“This is what Liberal Democrats are about – trusting the local community and rewarding that relationship with a meaningful budget that residents can help to decide.”

Highgate Village Heaven

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Just imagine Highgate Village on a summer day – with no bus stand! A beautiful pedestrianised area with no noisy, smelly buses with engines idling – and local people able to stroll happily – stopping to chat with friends and neighbours.

In a period where Mayor Ken Livingstone is about to face the electorate – and having publicly called for improvements to the public realm – this is his chance to put his money where his mouth is.

However, when the Highgate Society put together a very comprehensive paper regarding the possible relocation of the 271 bus stand, Mayor Ken didn’t want to know – Mayor Ken in the form of Transport for London that is.

Despite the well-researched paper the Highgate Society presented, and the many pleas for a meeting – Transport for London resisted all approaches. Even their response to the report failed to significantly address the very cogent points raised by the Highgate Society – points such as danger to pedestrians forcing them into the street to get past the buses, the confusion over whether to wait at the bus stand or across the street at the stop – resulting in people often running across the road at the last minute, traffic congestion, the huge petition in favour of it being moved and really a whole raft of other equally good reasons to at least seriously consider moving the stand.

Ken wants to pedestrianise Oxford Street and Parliament Square and has already done part of Trafalgar Square (which is much improved). It is all in the name of improving the quality of public space and the ambiance for us human beings. Well why should we local people not have an equal right to improve our own local environment? There shouldn’t be one rule for Ken and another for us peasants!

Anyway – I harangued Peter Hendy (Transport Commissioner for London) at Transport for London – and the good news is that they have now agreed to a meeting on site. My office is now in process of arranging for that meeting to take place.

We want to work with Transport for London to really make sure that we can both have a more peaceful, less polluted and pleasant village – AND ensure that the public transport links that serve the village and us are improved!

So fingers crossed that we get Transport for London officers with vision at this meeting. With a bit of vision and good will – Highgate Village could be transformed.

(c) Lynne Featherstone, 2008

Secret deal over Campsbourne Community Centre

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Second piece of bad news courtesy of Haringey Council this week – this one being the secret goings on over the closed community centre site on The Campsbourne.

This Hornsey estate would really benefit from the centre reopening – and it would be a great boost for the main residents in the area who are putting in great efforts to all sorts of local schemes to benefit their community.

But instead, it looks as if Haringey Council has done a deal with developers – and certainly isn’t properly answering questions about the site’s future.

Muswell Hill Library: Labour cuts funds

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Bad news on Muswell Hill Library this week – as Labour-run Haringey Council has gone back on its promises to put in more money to give the library a much needed bit of care and attention.

There were worrying signs back in July last year, when at a public meeting the Director of Libraries didn’t really seem to know what was going on with the library plans – and it has now been years and years since Labour first started talking about restoring and rennovating the building (e.g. see here).

Which brings us to this week – and Labour have gone back on plans to put in extra money for Muswell Hill Library. As my colleague Gail (Muswell Hill ward councillor) said:

Muswell Hill Library has seen years of neglect by Haringey Labour and again the only commitment is another patch-up job. I am deeply disappointed that the library will not be extended after much consultation of residents and library users.

Jacksons Lane funded for another year

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Hurrah! Brilliant! A reprieve for Jacksons Lane Community Centre. The Arts Council decided to fund us for one more year. Of course am over the moon, having petitioned, met with them, done my column on Jackson’s Lane and generally lobbied and agitated as much as I and my colleagues could.

Thank goodness.

We now have time to make sure that when that year is up – Haringey Council has put in place the commitment and funding necessary to reassure the Arts Council that it is really supported by the local authority. Lack of commitment by Haringey Council was the stated and only reason it was in the firing line for cuts in the first place.

So – onward and upwards! Saved – for now!